Hirst accused of plagiarism by computer artist

Damien Hirst is today facing allegations of plagiarism over one of his artworks.

The 41-year-old artist has been accused of copying the pattern for Valium, created six years ago, from a 1984 drawing by Robert Dixon.

Dixon claims Hirst had only created the Valium piece, a series of multicoloured spots in a circular pattern, after seeing his black and white design True Daisy in the Penguin Dictionary Of Curious And Interesting Geometry, published in 1991.

He said he had contacted Hirst demanding financial compensation and an acknowledgement of his artistic contribution.

In a letter to the Turner Prize winner, he added: "Your drawing is not merely the same pattern but is made by copying my drawing. Your artwork is practically dependent on my artwork. I conceived, calculated, formulated and programmed the Penguin drawing. You did not."

Hirst is expected to dispute the claim but Dixon, whose original drawing was based on a mathematical model inspired by studies of the natural geometry of daisies, said it would be hard to ignore what he had to say.

He said that although Valium was larger than True Daisy, it was a mirror image of the design, with the same number of spots.

"This makes it a tracing," he said. "I realised it was a copy straight away... the chances of drawing the same number of spots are very tiny."

Dixon, a 59-year-old computer graphics artist and former research associate at the Royal College of Art, added that Valium, produced in an edition of 500 prints which have each sold for four and five figure sums, was the second time Hirst had copied his work.

Three years ago he complained that a circular pattern Hirst produced for a children's colouring book was also a copy of True Daisy. The complaint was not upheld.

Hirst is no stranger to plagiarism claims. In 2000 he paid designer Norman Emms compensation after copying a £14.99 toy, which he reproduced as £1million sculpture Hymn.

Hirst, his manager Frank Dunphy and his dealer White Cube have refused to comment on the new allegation.